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Orange You Spiky Recipe

Don't worry, this cupcake won't hurt a bit. You'll be amazed at what a few chow mein noodles can do when used on this monster cupcake.
—Karen Tack, Riverside, Connecticut

TOTAL TIME: Prep/Total Time: 30 min.YIELD:6 servings

Ingredients

6 chocolate or vanilla cupcakes baked in black foil liners

1 can (16 ounces) plus 1 cup vanilla frosting

1 cup chow mein noodles

Red and yellow food coloring

12 honey wheat sticks or pretzel sticks

12 mini marshmallows

12 brown M&M’s

Chocolate jimmies

Directions

1.1. Spread the tops of the cupcakes with a small mound of vanilla frosting. Insert chow mein noodles into cupcakes to look like spikes. Place in the freezer for about 15 minutes to firm up.

2. 2. Spoon 3 tablespoons of the vanilla frosting into a small resealable bag and set aside.

3. 3. Tint the remaining frosting bright orange with the food coloring and spoon into a glass microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the frosting, stirring frequently, until it is the texture of slightly whipped cream.

4. 4. Holding the foil liner of the slightly frozen cupcake, dip the top of the cupcake up to the liner in the melted frosting to coat. Use a spoon to add more frosting if necessary. Allow the excess frosting to drip off. Invert and transfer to a cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes.

5. 5. Insert one end of a wheat stick into the side of a mini marshmallow. Repeat with the remaining marshmallows and wheat sticks. Snip a small corner from the bag with the vanilla frosting. Pipe a dot of frosting on one flat side of a marshmallow. Add a brown candy as the pupil. Add a few chocolate jimmies on the top as eyelashes. Pipe a dot of vanilla frosting on the brown candy as the sparkle in the eyes.

6. 6. Insert two marshmallow eyes on top of a frosted cupcake about 1 in. apart. Repeat with the remaining cupcakes.
Yield: 6 cupcakes.